Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program
Funded Grant
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description
Over the next two decades, the U.S. population of adults aged 65 and older is expected to double from 55 million (2022) to 82 million (2050). Those over age 85 (oldest-old) will constitute the fastest-growing segment of the population. Attracting medical students who will pursue careers in aging research was recognized and supported by societal mandate as articulated in the 2008 Institute of Medicine report “Retooling for an Aging America”. Johns Hopkins University has assembled interdisciplinary research expertise led by nationally and internationally recognized faculty members in aging research. The culture of an intradisciplinary collaborative work environment, the multiple NIA-funded aging-focused research and training programs that already exist at Johns Hopkins University, the infrastructure, and the supportive leadership all provide a strong foundation for this program. The principal rationale for the training program is to increase the workforce of physicians entering careers in aging-related research. Specific aims include the implementation of a rigorous 8-week summer experience in aging research in a talented group of medical students and providing them with 1) a primarily aging-oriented research project (basic or clinical) in collaboration with an experienced mentor with solid research background and resources resulting in national and international meeting abstracts and presentations; and publications; 2) a structured training using weekly didactic lecture series consisting of a total of five lectures (covering topics such as epidemiology, biostatistics, hypothesis generation, and testing, responsible conduct of research, and career development) and 3) an unstructured training through participation in multidisciplinary in research meetings of their research team and other lecture series across the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. At the end of this short-term training program, trainees will have gained research skills, learned about academic career opportunities and gained knowledge about major geriatric syndromes in older adults. Additionally, this program also provides clinical experiences designed to demonstrate the relevance of the research to the needs of an aging population and impart excitement about a career in aging research. The MSTAR program at Johns Hopkins University is designed to provide 18 students with an 8-week rigorous research experience housed at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology.
